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West Kootenays: A Retro-Eccentric Vibe

People are drawn to the Kootenays
because of the beauty, but they return (time and time) again because of the
culture.

I’m not talking about culture as in dining,
museums, art galleries and theatre — though for the population size of the
Kootenays, there aren’t many regions in Canada that can compete.

The culture I’m referring to is
directly tied to the people: a laid-back, make-yourself-at-home,
never-take-ourselves-too-seriously culture. We like to get dressed up to go
out, but that “dressing up” means finding our best flannel as often as it means
dressing up for one of our reservation-only restaurants.

Take, for example, the village of
Salmo. At the junction of Highways 3 and 6, and with a population of about
1,100 people, this West Kootenay tiny town has become a feature of retro
Canadian culture.

Enter the Salmo Dinner Jacket, otherwise recognized as the
classic plaid lumberjack shirt so often synonymous with foreign perception of
“Canada wear”.

Salmo's Dinner Jacket; photo courtesy of the Village of Salmo

It all started with some regional
ribbing. The village’s down-home vibe lent with neighbours categorizing the
plaid wear as Salmo’s “dinner jacket” — became something of status symbol for
residents. “We chose to turn the ... stereotype around of the Salmo Dinner
Jacket by making it the ‘official work gear’ of our employees,” says Diane
Kalen-Sukra, Chief Administrative Officer for Salmo.

The stereotype was further encouraged
by producing an official version for sale in the village office and by posting
selfies snapped while people sported the dinner jacket at home and abroad.

The eclecticism of the Kootenays
— and maybe even the world — is represented in a town further west along
Highway 6. The diversity of people (and outfits) became so synonymous with the
town that a book was published on the theme.

But it doesn’t stop there. Nelson’s
Baker Street is the epicentre of this eclectic hub, and one coffee shop,
advantageously fronting the busy corner of Baker and Ward streets, has taken a
playful approach to the local culture.

“The bingo cards were his idea,” says
John Ward Coffee General Manager, Amy Stewart, referencing her husband’s
creation of the “Baker Street Bingo” cards found at the coffee shop. “There are
some unique features to Nelson living and some of these are mentioned on the
bingo cards.”

Baker Street Bingo; photo by Amy Steward

When I first encountered the cards at
John Ward, I thought it was simply a clever poke at the town’s eclectic vibe. I
sat down with a local who assured me we’d have most of the squares checked off
by the time he was done with his coffee. My card listed sightings such as
“Beard & Staff”, “Unattended Children” and “Moccasins” as requirements for
a winning streak. Though funny, I thought, there was no way I’d actually see
all these things while sitting here for one coffee session.

We both had “Bingos” before my local
friend had drained their cup.

“Nelson culture has shifted and changed
over the years … you see a mix of the old and the new here today,” says Amy,
who admits she’s been a “walking bingo” herself. “It's a unique town and never
a dull moment on the corner of Ward and Baker.”

Southwest of Nelson and Salmo, and
hugging the Canadian-US border, you’ll find Rossland. Steeped with mining
history as a gold rush town, the modern draw of Rossland is the skiing and
biking terrain of the beloved RED Mountain Resort. The town has been known to
throw regular shindigs paying homage to both Rossland’s history and the
shenanigans of its past, making this a place where retro vibes spill from
parties into the everyday.

Rossland's Beer Goggle Event; photo by Ryan Flett

"Maybe we got stuck in our ways,
maybe we never grew up, maybe we just like a party,” says Kristi Calder of
Rossland. “Either way, Rossland locals like to dress up. Specifically, they
like to dress retro. We have specific events catered to our retro ways, like
the annual end of season retro deck party at RED Mountain Resort. However, we
find any excuse to pull on a onesie and chuck on a wig, be it a house party,
Winter Carnival, or sometimes ‘just ‘cause.’”

And that “just ‘cause” part is where
Rossland’s love of retro outshines most places of its size. In a town of just
3,500, the testament of retro lies in its thriftstore culture.“Rossland's thrift shop is very
well-frequented, with line-ups outside each day before the doors open — seriously,”
adds Kristi. “Our up-cycling ways carry over into more practical uses. Downtown
Rossland hosts 3 shops focused on up-cycling including Revival Boutique: high
quality, lightly used women and men clothing; Bombshack: trendy, lightly used
kids and tween clothing; and the Rossland Thrift Store with its reputation as
the best in the biz and a constant stream of used kids and adult athletic gear
provided by the sporty locals.”

Gina Bégin - Although she’s a Florida girl, exploration called her away after the final bell of her high school career. On a quest to reach the distant adventures of North America, she lived in her car, traveling to ski the backcountry of Alaska, sleep under the northern lights in the Yukon Territory, ice climb Colorado's frozen canyons, photograph Nova Scotia’s coves, backpack in southern US wildernesses and munch on sugared tamarindo in the jungles of Mexico. But after three years living on the road and seeing the many wonders this continent had to offer, she chose the place she knew would fit an explorer looking for a lifetime of wild wonder: British Columbia. Dual citizenship in hand, she settled along the Powder Highway in the Selkirks and is making her homebetween four walls and deeply wooded mountains.